Hi I'm Michael Keleti, I'm 14 years old and I am from Leawood, Kansas. I am going into 9th grade at my local public school, Blue Valley North.I will most likely pursue chemical engineering however I am still keeping my options open to choose from a STEM field. I am mainly interested in science and mathematics. I am here to further my knowledge of biology and gain a new understanding of how organisms work at a fundamental level. My hobbies include playing golf, fixing computers, and running. I like many different types of music, recently I have been listening to exclusively music from before the 90's. I also like to travel and have been to Italy to see the landmarks such as the Duomo and the castles in Tuscany. I am very excited to learn from this camp.
Most modern drugs are very hard to make, which limits the supply and increases the demand of the product. This leads to many people not getting the drug whether it is too expensive, or it has a limited supply. Luckily there is a solution, Biopharmaceuticals. Biopharmaceuticals are a type of medicine that can be manufactured through living organisms. Organic medicines can be synthesized on a large scale which has many benefits such as lower costs and higher supply.
An example of a biopharmaceutical that is currently being produced on a large scale is insulin. Insulin is a protein that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It is normally released by the pancreas in response to increased levels of glucose. Unfortunately, patients with type I diabetes lose their ability to produce insulin in the pancreas. They require periodic treatments through insulin injection or else they will experience nausea, fatigue, or even death. This makes insulin imperative to their wellbeing.
Scientists found a way to produce insulin on a large scale through recombinant bacteria. Recombinant bacteria are bacteria that have undergone genetic engineering. Scientists inserted the human gene for producing insulin into a e-coli bacteria and started to mass produce insulin on a large scale. Before this, they would have to harvest insulin from pork. This was an extremely inefficient process, yielding 8 ounces of insulin per 2 tons of pork.
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Another organic drug currently being produced on a large scale is artemisinin. Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug mainly used in africa and can be lifesaving if used correctly. It was once synthesized through the processing of the plant Artemisia Annua. Currently, it is being synthesized through genetically modified yeast and produced on a wide scale.
Although Biopharmaceuticals are very beneficial, it has stirred quite a bit of controversy. Many people feel like this technology could change and spread in a way that could harm others. Other people feel like that they want to live in a natural world, deeming Biopharmaceuticals as unethical. This controversy has made development of organic drugs slower and harder.
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The economic benefits of biopharmaceuticals is apparent through recent statistics. The biopharmaceutical sector invests more in R&D relative to sales than any other manufacturing industry, investing more than six times the average for all manufacturing industries. Biopharmaceuticals generated 1.2 trillion dollars in 2015 alone towards the economy. The U.S. biopharmaceutical sector employs nearly 854,000 workers and supports a total of 3.4 million jobs across the country. To summarize, there are many instances where the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals has led to major breakthroughs in how drugs are distributed. Each instance resulted in a large economic upturn and a more widespread distribution of necessary drugs.
My Research Project: Biopharmaceuticals
Most modern drugs are very hard to make, which limits the supply and increases the demand of the product. This leads to many people not getting the drug whether it is too expensive, or it has a limited supply. Luckily there is a solution, Biopharmaceuticals. Biopharmaceuticals are a type of medicine that can be manufactured through living organisms. Organic medicines can be synthesized on a large scale which has many benefits such as lower costs and higher supply.
An example of a biopharmaceutical that is currently being produced on a large scale is insulin. Insulin is a protein that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It is normally released by the pancreas in response to increased levels of glucose. Unfortunately, patients with type I diabetes lose their ability to produce insulin in the pancreas. They require periodic treatments through insulin injection or else they will experience nausea, fatigue, or even death. This makes insulin imperative to their wellbeing.
Scientists found a way to produce insulin on a large scale through recombinant bacteria. Recombinant bacteria are bacteria that have undergone genetic engineering. Scientists inserted the human gene for producing insulin into a e-coli bacteria and started to mass produce insulin on a large scale. Before this, they would have to harvest insulin from pork. This was an extremely inefficient process, yielding 8 ounces of insulin per 2 tons of pork.
Another organic drug currently being produced on a large scale is artemisinin. Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug mainly used in africa and can be lifesaving if used correctly. It was once synthesized through the processing of the plant Artemisia Annua. Currently, it is being synthesized through genetically modified yeast and produced on a wide scale.
Although Biopharmaceuticals are very beneficial, it has stirred quite a bit of controversy. Many people feel like this technology could change and spread in a way that could harm others. Other people feel like that they want to live in a natural world, deeming Biopharmaceuticals as unethical. This controversy has made development of organic drugs slower and harder.
The economic benefits of biopharmaceuticals is apparent through recent statistics. The biopharmaceutical sector invests more in R&D relative to sales than any other manufacturing industry, investing more than six times the average for all manufacturing industries. Biopharmaceuticals generated 1.2 trillion dollars in 2015 alone towards the economy. The U.S. biopharmaceutical sector employs nearly 854,000 workers and supports a total of 3.4 million jobs across the country.
To summarize, there are many instances where the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals has led to major breakthroughs in how drugs are distributed. Each instance resulted in a large economic upturn and a more widespread distribution of necessary drugs.